Physical Modelling synths

[overhishead]

I checked out Tassman, but it sounded a little thin to me, I also checked out Kaivo but I don't want the grain feature and the interface wasn't intuitive enough for me to jump right in. Applied Acoustics seems to have the market almost cornered in terms of easy to understand GUI, but I came away from these demos with a sense that there could be improvements. Just a hasty impression, not gospel.

Xoxos would easily be the 'King of Physical Modelling Pop' if he had a firm behind him like Urs Heckman does, coding to his whim, putting out Juce-frontend cross platform 64bit stuff with easy to understand and top notch graphic designed GUIs. Let's give that guy a billion dollars.

UGO's M-Theory is really great, I'd like to see new iterations with more optimization as it seems to sit heavy in the cycles somehow. It would be great if synthedit and synthmaker had modes that output code and classes that could be compiled manually, as a pro option...

So, KVR, there hasn't been a Physical Modelling thread in a while, and there are far fewer of these around than the million or two subtractive types. What's your take on this niche?

[lfm]

You could try going modular like this: http://karmafx.net/

Old style modules to combine to liking, and save as presets too.
I think it's 64-bit today also, and will have a go at it soon.

[ThomasHelzle]

The most promising one I heard for a while is 64klang2:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 3&t=444375
If this would get a good GUI it has the potential to give Tassman a run for it's money from the demos so far.
But it's not released as a VST yet and I don't know how userfriendly it will be - the development goals are very different in this case...

IMO, Chromaphone is still the best of the AAS synths, with StringStudio being second. The others are too specialised for my taste and Tassmann is brutally in need of a full overhaul (GUI, playing while patching, new algos, better sound...).

Kaivo did not grow on me somehow.

Reaktor has some nice ensembles still...

But yeah, would be awesome to see some real movement in this area.
Let's hope 64klang2 will be released and is usable for mere humans

Cheers,

Tom

[Michael L]

I checked out Tassman, but it sounded a little thin to me... I came away from these demos with a sense that there could be improvements.

I personally like the sound of AAS synths including Tassman (which is next in the queue for updating). If you like the sound, spend more time exploring because they are quite versatile. Here's a quite varied Tassman preset demo:
http://www.electric-himalaya.com/tassman4.html

If you don't like the AAS sound, try Amaranth Audio's Cycle. It has great sound, beautiful GUI, and a very different programming mindset. Here are audio demos:
http://www.amaranthaudio.com/products/cycle/audio/

[fluffy_little_something]

Aren't all subtractive synths basically physical modeling synths? Xils etc. do the same thing when they try to emulate the components of old analog hw, but I don't think they mention physical modeling.
I don't see any real difference between Ultra Analog and other subtractive synths.

To me that term applies more to the emulation of all instruments but synthesizers. String Studio is a typical example in my view. It has all those very specific sections and parameters, very unlike a normal synth.

[whyterabbyt]

Aren't all subtractive synths basically physical modeling synths? Xils etc. do the same thing when they try to emulate the components of old analog hw, but I don't think they mention physical modeling.

Yes, but I suspect the OP is talking about the physical modelling of acoustic units/subcomponents/blocks/instruments (ie things which interact physically) rather than the same old electronic building blocks found in a VA.

[fluffy_little_something]

Aren't all subtractive synths basically physical modeling synths? Xils etc. do the same thing when they try to emulate the components of old analog hw, but I don't think they mention physical modeling.

Yes, but I suspect the OP is talking about the physical modelling of acoustic units/subcomponents/blocks/instruments (ie things which interact physically) rather than the same old electronic building blocks found in a VA.

I just mentioned it because I read an info page on physical modeling on the AAS site yesterday where they explicitly mentioned Ultra Analog as well (last section in particular):

https://www.applied-acoustics.com/techt ... lmodeling/

[whyterabbyt]

Aren't all subtractive synths basically physical modeling synths? Xils etc. do the same thing when they try to emulate the components of old analog hw, but I don't think they mention physical modeling.

Yes, but I suspect the OP is talking about the physical modelling of acoustic units/subcomponents/blocks/instruments (ie things which interact physically) rather than the same old electronic building blocks found in a VA.

I just mentioned it because I read an info page on physical modeling on the AAS site yesterday where they explicitly mentioned Ultra Analog as well:

https://www.applied-acoustics.com/techt ... lmodeling/

Yup; strictly speaking 'physical modelling' (physical as in 'something reliant on physics' rather than the previous link) covers electronic, acoustic and electromagnetic modelling (and technically also other physics systems not generally applied to audio, eg fluid dynamics), but common useage tends to specifically refer to actual tangible stuff, predominantly acoustic. OP's post seemed to lean in the latter direction, from his distinction between it and 'subtractive' (which, of course, is the class of synthesis most (all?) existing electronic modelling plugins implement).

[fmr]

IMO, Tassman is easily the most complete PM synth available (like the sound or not). As a synth that is not based in a modular architecture (eg - it doesn't force you to create the building blocks to start with), then Sculpture (which is part of Logic Pro X and Main Stage) is the best one. Again, IMO.
Modelonia also seems interesting, but somehow I still didn't get any sound of it that manage to inspire me.

[Michael L]

I don't see any real difference between Ultra Analog and other subtractive synths.

Here is the signal flow for Ultra Analog:

UA Signal Flow copy.png

[fluffy_little_something]

Sooo?

[wakax]

for my experimental tastes, I like these:
Kaivo
Modelonia
Anckorage Spring (only on iOS) http://www.anckorage.com/anckorage-spring/
AAS Tassman
Xoxos experiments

+ all cool Reaktor ens.

[Michael L]

I don't see any real difference between Ultra Analog and other subtractive synths.

Here is the signal flow for Ultra Analog:

Sooo?

Welllll, do you see any real difference?

[fluffy_little_something]

What about that diagram is typical of pm? Sorry, I don't see it

[pheeleep]

Reaktor Prism is great:

http://www.native-instruments.com/en/pr ... tor-prism/